


no sweet dream / hell of a night

by Gertika



Series: stained by red [1]
Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Criminals, Anarchy, Bad Decisions, Blood and Injury, Found Family, Genre-Typical Violence, Gun Violence, Minor Character Death, Other, can be read as platonic or romantic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:29:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24607753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gertika/pseuds/Gertika
Summary: They have learned to consider each other family. There has been no other choice really.
Relationships: Alexander Albon & Max Verstappen, Antonio Giovinazzi & Kimi Räikkönen, Daniel Ricciardo & Max Verstappen, Lando Norris & George Russell, Lando Norris & Kimi Räikkönen, Lando Norris & Max Verstappen
Series: stained by red [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1886458
Comments: 12
Kudos: 41





	no sweet dream / hell of a night

Daniel was all baseball bats and bright smiles. Spray paint on the police department windows and bright swim shorts. Stolen SWAT cars painted a new outrageous color and animal stickers. The epitome of positive attitude paired with _be gay do crimes_. Everyone knew he was hiding something but most had no clue what, he had always been very good at hiding himself behind the persona but most assumed it was whatever happened to him before. Before them. When he had joined and they had been hacked. They couldn’t figure out why, the hacker had only looked at security cameras and all the fake IDs they had created for Daniel. Like looking for proof he was there. They hadn’t mentioned it to him, they didn’t want to scare him away, not when he was so useful.

A few weeks later a man with dirty blonde hair had shown up soaking wet on their doorstep. Nobody was supposed to know about their whereabouts but the pouring rain had led to a quick decision of getting the man indoors first and interrogating him after. They were trying to restrain him when Daniel had walked in and him, the man from outside and the group trying to restrain said man froze. For a moment the air had been thick enough to cut with a knife. The man had shaken them off and sprinted into the older man’s arms, causing confusion in the rest of the crew. Each of whom had their hands on their guns and no clue as to what was happening. The rain soaked man was sobbing into Daniel’s neck, who was trying to calm him. The others slowly put their guns away and dispersed from the scene when Daniel gave them a pointed look.

Max was brilliant. Kid was a multitalent and seemingly also from wherever Daniel had come from. Max admitted to hacking their system to find Daniel. Max was much rougher around the edges and it just seemed to make sense. The moments of vulnerability reserved behind closed doors for only some people. Max was riot masks and semi-automatic pistols. Shooting first and not asking questions. Loud curses and long nights of video games. Blood stained history and desire for revenge. None of them were insane enough to try and tell him no. Lando was happy to have the assistance since their causes seemed to mostly line up, not only in work but in free time. Helping with Max’s revenge schemes was just a part of the gig.

The crew had existed longer than any of them had been in it. A lot of good people had been lost, to retaliation or other life paths. Their only real connection to the original was the guy who did their cars, Kimi, and even he was a part of what they referred to as _the third generation_. Kimi had been there when the originals had faded away. Kimi had recruited Lando. Understanding the growing need for a tech specialist who could hold their own while Kimi wanted to fade into the background himself, have a real life that wasn’t riddled with the threat of death every day.

Lando was a true talent with computers, his downfall really being overthinking it. He had been kicking himself for a week after Max had showed up and explained how he’d gotten into the system. The crew agreed on Lando and Max being a good team though. Each other’s faults being the strengths of the team. Lando was brought in young, too young if you ask some, but he would argue time isn’t real. Lando was reflective fabrics and bright underglows on cars. Brilliant graffiti in impossible places and gas stations at 2am. Guns painted to look like the arcade and tear tracks from any strong emotion. He’d grown up into it which is maybe why he’d kept trying to convince George to leave.

George was supposed to have a good life, it was all laid out in front of him before everything happened and his dream life was ruined. He was supposed to become a doctor, he was so deep in medical school that should’ve been it. Before everything came crashing down and he found himself answering to a sketchy ad about a medical assistant gig. Patching up bullet holes and stab wounds in a temporary shelter in an abandoned warehouse wasn’t what he thought he would be doing but to be fair, the crew would never admit to being desperate enough to post an ad on needing someone to take care of them.

He got involved in more of the process fast. His studies offered him good insight into helping engineer better masks, better weaponry, better tactics to obtain information. George maintained his opinion on refusing to get into gun fights and rather if he had to fight, fight close. Most days he would sit in the driver seat of a car and be ready to get them all out, away. George was neatly organized scalpels and dirt stained sneakers. Screwed off fake license plates and home cooked meals. A row of bottles of liquids that could kill you in seconds and long eyelashes. He doesn’t talk about the reason he never became a doctor. He’s happy he never swore an oath or he would feel guilt over the people less lucky than Antonio.

Kimi never meant to get him involved in it. It was never supposed to happen, he wasn’t even supposed to find out, Antonio was too sweet for that world but when some asshole had held them at gunpoint at a coffee shop because Kimi had done something or other to that person’s loved one. Kimi had in his usual calm manner defused the situation to the point where they had moved to the back alley of the cafe, where the gunman had grabbed Antonio and threatened the man’s life only for Kimi to make a hand signal and the man to drop to the ground with an unsettling hole in the middle of his forehead. The young man had demanded explanations for the situation. Later he had counted his lucky stars that the bullet hadn’t hit him.

Antonio had been brought in and Salo had laughed at Kimi, claiming the man had gone soft and Kimi had just glared at his friend, they needed a replacement for Fernando anyway. Antonio was astounded that not only had he survived the alley but now was being recruited. He didn’t think demanding to become a part of it would actually gain him recruitment but he knew what he was doing. The crew would soon learn about the man’s expertise not only in hand to hand combat but money laundering. He grew his hair out and as far as other people in his life were concerned, disappeared. Antonio was glasses from the 80s and expensive wine. Bruised knuckles and detailed knit cardigans. Silenced pistols and clever disguises. His look was so very classical it made Nico envious.

Nico had come in at a different time, back when they called him Hulk due to the presence of another Nico, a very different one. They had been lacking someone of less caring, someone more efficient. Nico’s relationship with the crew had been complicated every step of the way but he was well aware of the necessity of his skillset. Being a solid Jack-of-all-trades if you will. The crew had been so focused on specifics, new recruits thinning out when he came in. For a while there it almost seemed like a life of crime wasn’t worth it, not that any of them were in it for the crime exclusively. Nico had always had a problem with authority if it wasn’t him.

Mugshots going viral and people forgiving his crimes however heinous. He grinned at the mirror every day before tying a bandana on his face, picking his pistol of the day and bringing a long pipe or a bat. Nico was a special brand of mayhem that the crew had difficulty understanding at first. As if getting caught was suddenly a crucial part of the gig. Nico was police chases in broad daylight and making careless mistakes in the lack of attention span. Care packages of ammunition and bandaids. Falling in love with the enemy and bringing coffee without having to be asked. Nico hoped he could eventually leave for a different life, before he got killed, but maybe that wasn’t in the cards for him. Each new person that had been brought in sparked that hope in him though.

Alex was their most accidental recruit. There was a fight and the tall man had been shot in the ribs, by whom was unclear. In the most uncharacteristic turn of events Max had screamed at the crew to cover him while he retrieved the bleeding man from the street to an alley and into the back of a van. Max wasn’t the type to save anyone from imminent death, all history of working with him would have pointed towards him executing the man in the middle of the street as a sign of mercy. Daniel had ignored the spark of recognition he felt at the sight of the fallen man until they were back at their temporary safe location.

None of them could’ve seen the fierce energy coming from what they were faced with upon first meeting. Max had mumbled something about partnership and promises when he had been trying to stop the bleeding in the van and Alex had laid there, unconscious but breathing. Alex was soft spoken and fearless. His skillset in combat and on the streets rivaled that of Max’s but he was more calculated and a happier persona, while having no clue how to work a computer. Alex was early sunrises on the roof and sharp decorative knives. High beams on a dark road and taking turns a bit faster than anyone thought safe. Soft touches to gain your trust and smooth lies through his teeth. He’d had to learn. 

There was too many of them, they knew that. Their luck would run out. One of them would get too comfortable, too confident. One of them would inevitably dye the streets red again with their own blood. Retaliation would be inevitable. The chain of lost lives to certain parties plagued them. But for now they were strong. They were graffiti on billboards and broken windshields. Jumping across roofs in the city and loud music from car speakers. Riots in the streets and lost police records. Holding the city on its knees in front of them.

**Author's Note:**

> Kimi: This year we lost our dear friend Fernando  
> Fernando: QUIT TELLING EVERYONE I'M DEAD  
> Kimi: Sometimes I can still hear his voice
> 
> Anyway. Thank you to Iippadei for listening to me yell about the universe I built around this. Thank you to kishun for your patience. And thank you, whoever you are, for indulging me and reading this. All kudos and comments are greatly appreciated.


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